In a UNESCO publication on reading materials for literacy programs Joshi and Ghose (n.d.) succinctly define a semi-literate person as an "adult or adolescent who has low levels of formal education. School drop-outs or those who have studied up to the 5th or the 8th standard constitute this category of learners. Here too the lack of practice in reading and writing over time can easily lead to the loss of literacy skills." A semi-literate person is someone who has a basic, working literacy level. For example, someone who has already completed a basic literacy program provided by some community agency or someone who has completed elementary school but has not had any further literacy education. Usually the term semi-literate refers to adults or older adolescents rather than children who are still in the process of literacy development. Often semi-literate persons are part of populations that have a low overall literacy rate or cultures that do not emphasize literacy (Krolak, 2005).
Semi-literate people already have the necessary level of literacy to get by in everyday life. They have the basic skills necessary to continue their literacy development on their own or with minimal formal instruction. The biggest concern when it comes to semi-literate populations is the maxim "use it or loose it." The skills a semi-literate person has gained can be quickly lost if that person does not continue to use and practice those skills in everyday life (Joshi & Ghose, n.d.). Therefore the goals for semi-literate populations focus on the maintenance of current skills and self-education to improve upon existing skills.
Three literacy goals for semi-literate populations (Joshi & Ghose, n.d. & Ebiwolate, 2010):
Keep reading and writing in order to maintain current level of skills.
Use of reading and writing in everyday life for work and at home.
Development of a "reading habit" for both function and pleasure.
Considerations for library service to semi-literate populations and Innovations
The first and primary consideration for libraries serving semi-literate populations is providing easy access to appropriate reading material. This involves two challenges; the first is getting the material to the people and maintaining a collection of materials for this section of the population. The second concern is making the materials accessible in level and language to the population. The third concern is facilitating the regular use of learned literacy skills to foster a habit of reading and writing.
A reader in Blantyre Library. Credit Book Aid International.
There are many challenges to getting materials to the people who need them. In countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and India, the distances involved in serving the mainly rural populations is a challenge in itself. Nigeria, for example has had a bookmobile program in existence since the 1970s. The service was provided by the State Library Service and has changed in size and location over the years. According to Ebiwolate (2010) the Nigerian bookmobile program and similar programs in other countries have had success in bringing library services and materials to populations that would not otherwise have had access to these materials and services. They also made progress in fostering an interest in reading and an awareness of and familiarity with library and information services. This is one example of an initiative to bring materials to underserved populations, including semi-literates.
Community libraries and other organizations serving semi-literate populations must also maintain a collection of materials curated specially for the community and the population's reading level. As Krolak (2005) and Joshi & Ghose (n.d.) point out, libraries providing services to semi-literate populations, particularly in developing countries, are often stocked with irrelevant, unappealing materials including old textbooks from North America and Europe, complex novels in foreign languages, and books that are severely out of date. To avoid this problem, Dent (2006) recommends performing an information needs assessment when developing a plan for providing library services. This assessment do not necessarily have to be complex and extensive, but there should be some evaluation of and feedback on the interests and needs of the community. For the Kitengesa Community Library, organizers performed a door-to-door survey of over 1000 community members and asked about their "reading habits and what types of materials they might be interested in reading" (Dent, 2006). While this may have been an uncommon needs assessment, it ensures the library collection is geared specifically to the community it serves.
The library should structure their collection based on this needs assessment. The subjects of the materials should match with the interests and needs identified in the assessment by the community. Beyond the subject matter, the collection must be structured to match the literacy levels of the population. In this case, there should be reading materials on a variety of subjects at a level accessible to semi-literates (Dent, 2006). Joshi & Ghose (n.d.) note that oftentimes materials written at an appropriate level for semi-literate readers is for "bettering people's lives" rather than useful information or interesting literature. Instead, Krolak (2005) suggests materials for semi-literate readers should be locally relevant, published in the country if possible, and in the local language. Even in countries with a limited publishing industry, the library can make an effort to stock local newspapers, or produce one of their own. Krolak also identifies gender differences in reading interests in semi-literate populations. Men, she states, show more interest in "the areas of sports, science, politics or Do-It-Yourself manuals," whereas women are more interested in reading fiction.
As part of the South African Family Literacy Project, program facilitators and community members came together to produce local newsletters. The newsletters were so popular that they eventually became regularly and professionally published. Community members still contribute and the issues are widely read (UNESCO, n.d.). This is an example of a community library and literacy program not only creating locally relevant reading materials, but also helping to facilitate semi-literate and neo-literate community members to regularly practice their writing and reading skills.
Reading materials and information resources should be presented in formats accessible to the population of interest. This could involve the library "identifying user info needs then repackaging info to make it accessible to the population" (Ebiwolate, 2010). This could be translating materials into local languages or producing pamphlets that summarize informative texts that are too advanced to be accessible to the population. Finally, in conjunction with literacy programs aimed at non-literates and neo-literates, all efforts should be made to encourage semi-literate clients to improve their own literacy though practice and study (Dent, 2006).
Community library projects, such as the Community Libraries in South Africa and Nigeria, have the flexibility and the community connection to make their services and collections customized to the needs of the community. This includes customizing part of their service to the needs of semi-literate patrons (Mayer, 2002 & Dent, 2006).
Malawi National Library Service sorting books. Credit Bookaid International.
Dent, V. F. (2006). Modelling the rural community library. New Library World, 107(1/2), 16-30. Retrieved August 15, 2011 from Emerald Publishing Group.
Ebiwolate, P. B. (2010). Nigeria public library service to rural areas: Libraries in Niger delta states. Library Philosophy and Practice. Retrieved August 15, 2011 from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/posigha2.htm
Semi-literate Populations and Library Service
Semi-literate: Definition
In a UNESCO publication on reading materials for literacy programs Joshi and Ghose (n.d.) succinctly define a semi-literate person as an "adult or adolescent who has low levels of formal education. School drop-outs or those who have studied up to the 5th or the 8th standard constitute this category of learners. Here too the lack of practice in reading and writing over time can easily lead to the loss of literacy skills." A semi-literate person is someone who has a basic, working literacy level. For example, someone who has already completed a basic literacy program provided by some community agency or someone who has completed elementary school but has not had any further literacy education. Usually the term semi-literate refers to adults or older adolescents rather than children who are still in the process of literacy development. Often semi-literate persons are part of populations that have a low overall literacy rate or cultures that do not emphasize literacy (Krolak, 2005).
Literacy Goals for Semi-literate populations
Semi-literate people already have the necessary level of literacy to get by in everyday life. They have the basic skills necessary to continue their literacy development on their own or with minimal formal instruction. The biggest concern when it comes to semi-literate populations is the maxim "use it or loose it." The skills a semi-literate person has gained can be quickly lost if that person does not continue to use and practice those skills in everyday life (Joshi & Ghose, n.d.). Therefore the goals for semi-literate populations focus on the maintenance of current skills and self-education to improve upon existing skills.
Three literacy goals for semi-literate populations (Joshi & Ghose, n.d. & Ebiwolate, 2010):
Considerations for library service to semi-literate populations and Innovations
The first and primary consideration for libraries serving semi-literate populations is providing easy access to appropriate reading material. This involves two challenges; the first is getting the material to the people and maintaining a collection of materials for this section of the population. The second concern is making the materials accessible in level and language to the population. The third concern is facilitating the regular use of learned literacy skills to foster a habit of reading and writing.
There are many challenges to getting materials to the people who need them. In countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and India, the distances involved in serving the mainly rural populations is a challenge in itself. Nigeria, for example has had a bookmobile program in existence since the 1970s. The service was provided by the State Library Service and has changed in size and location over the years. According to Ebiwolate (2010) the Nigerian bookmobile program and similar programs in other countries have had success in bringing library services and materials to populations that would not otherwise have had access to these materials and services. They also made progress in fostering an interest in reading and an awareness of and familiarity with library and information services. This is one example of an initiative to bring materials to underserved populations, including semi-literates.
Community libraries and other organizations serving semi-literate populations must also maintain a collection of materials curated specially for the community and the population's reading level. As Krolak (2005) and Joshi & Ghose (n.d.) point out, libraries providing services to semi-literate populations, particularly in developing countries, are often stocked with irrelevant, unappealing materials including old textbooks from North America and Europe, complex novels in foreign languages, and books that are severely out of date. To avoid this problem, Dent (2006) recommends performing an information needs assessment when developing a plan for providing library services. This assessment do not necessarily have to be complex and extensive, but there should be some evaluation of and feedback on the interests and needs of the community. For the Kitengesa Community Library, organizers performed a door-to-door survey of over 1000 community members and asked about their "reading habits and what types of materials they might be interested in reading" (Dent, 2006). While this may have been an uncommon needs assessment, it ensures the library collection is geared specifically to the community it serves.
The library should structure their collection based on this needs assessment. The subjects of the materials should match with the interests and needs identified in the assessment by the community. Beyond the subject matter, the collection must be structured to match the literacy levels of the population. In this case, there should be reading materials on a variety of subjects at a level accessible to semi-literates (Dent, 2006). Joshi & Ghose (n.d.) note that oftentimes materials written at an appropriate level for semi-literate readers is for "bettering people's lives" rather than useful information or interesting literature. Instead, Krolak (2005) suggests materials for semi-literate readers should be locally relevant, published in the country if possible, and in the local language. Even in countries with a limited publishing industry, the library can make an effort to stock local newspapers, or produce one of their own. Krolak also identifies gender differences in reading interests in semi-literate populations. Men, she states, show more interest in "the areas of sports, science, politics or Do-It-Yourself manuals," whereas women are more interested in reading fiction.
As part of the South African Family Literacy Project, program facilitators and community members came together to produce local newsletters. The newsletters were so popular that they eventually became regularly and professionally published. Community members still contribute and the issues are widely read (UNESCO, n.d.). This is an example of a community library and literacy program not only creating locally relevant reading materials, but also helping to facilitate semi-literate and neo-literate community members to regularly practice their writing and reading skills.
Reading materials and information resources should be presented in formats accessible to the population of interest. This could involve the library "identifying user info needs then repackaging info to make it accessible to the population" (Ebiwolate, 2010). This could be translating materials into local languages or producing pamphlets that summarize informative texts that are too advanced to be accessible to the population. Finally, in conjunction with literacy programs aimed at non-literates and neo-literates, all efforts should be made to encourage semi-literate clients to improve their own literacy though practice and study (Dent, 2006).
Community library projects, such as the Community Libraries in South Africa and Nigeria, have the flexibility and the community connection to make their services and collections customized to the needs of the community. This includes customizing part of their service to the needs of semi-literate patrons (Mayer, 2002 & Dent, 2006).
Next section: Conclusion
References
Dent, V. F. (2006). Modelling the rural community library. New Library World, 107(1/2), 16-30. Retrieved August 15, 2011 from Emerald Publishing Group.
Ebiwolate, P. B. (2010). Nigeria public library service to rural areas: Libraries in Niger delta states. Library Philosophy and Practice. Retrieved August 15, 2011 from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/posigha2.htm
Joshi, S. and Ghose, M. (n.d.). Reading material for neo-literate and semi-literate adults. UNESCO, PALADIN Courses (unit 7). Retrieved August 11, 2011 from http://www.unesco.org/education/aladin/paldin/pdf/course01/unit_07.pdf
Krolak, L. (2005). The role of libraries in the creation of literate environments. Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2006, Literacy for Life. Retrieved 18 August, 2011, from http://www.ifla.org/files/literacy-and-reading/Role%20of%20libraries%20in%20creation%20of%20literate%20environments.pdf
Mayer, L. (2002). Women, democracy and participation in the information society. 68th IFLA Council and General Conference. Retrieved August 13, 2011 from http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/012-096e.pdf
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (2009-2011). The Family Literacy Project. Effective Literacy Practice. Retrieved August 17, 2011 from http://www.unesco.org/uil/litbase/?menu=17&phrase=&query=libraries&use_and=1&programme=43